A number of guest speakers also attended the demonstrations and shared stories on climate change activism, including Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

Nearly 200 students, community members, and political activists flocked to Low Steps Friday morning as part of a global movement to call for urgent political action on climate change.

Friday’s “Global Climate Strike” comes as part of an international student response to climate change inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who began skipping school to rally in front of the Swedish parliament in August of last year.

The Sunrise Movement at Columbia—a student organization dedicated to political action and climate change—co-sponsored the event with Green Owls CU, Student-Worker Solidarity, the Columbia University Democrats, and WBAR. A number of guest speakers, including Washington Governor Jay Inslee, attended the demonstrations and shared stories on climate change activism..

Naomi Hollard, CC ’19 and founder and coordinator of Sunrise Columbia, said she hopes that the climate strike will have an impact beyond the University, but emphasized the need to bring greater awareness on climate change to the campus.

“We want our leaders to be taking action: leaders within a college setting, within a governmental setting, within a national setting. We want all of our leaders to have the power to enact this change,” Hollard said at the event. “By default, we also are asking that leaders…